Saying goodbye to old friends...

The original Lightweight tale.

When I first started to publish Lightweight, my original plans were to be individual chapters every one to two months. They would each tell their own story, but at the same time build to a greater old, not unlike many comic books of the past several decades. I published ten chapters this way, all of which were collected in the books Lightweight: Senior Year and Lightweight: Black Death.

As I published them and looked at the history for both the single stories and the collections, I quickly realized that Amazon's setup isn't really made to sell short fiction in such a way. So when I wrote the next five chapters of Lightweight's tale, they were only released in a full book format as Lightweight: Beyond.

Now as I work to streamline my work, I realize the individual stories really just clutter up my Amazon Author page. Few sell by themselves anymore. So it seems obvious that it is time to remove them from circulation.

However, in fairness to folks that might have been reading the series in individual chapters, I will leave all the current stories up in their old form until May 31, 2018. After that, they will be removed from Amazon and Lightweight will continue their as only a novel series.

That is not to say I do not have plans to serialize Lightweight in the days and months ahead. I have a new plan in place to do just that, but that is for another time and another place as it is still a few months down the road.

Pick up your copy of Lightweight: Beyond!

After two successful volumes in the last two years, I raised money through Kickstarter to make the third volume of the Lightweight series, Lightweight: Beyond, a reality late last year. The book was released to backers in the end of March.

Now I am proud to announce its wide release to fans nationwide and worldwide. 

Cover art by Brent Sprecher. Logo design by Cynthia Celeste Miller.

This new volume tells the tale of Kevin's inadvertent trip to another world and both the galactic level threats and the political players that want to use him for their own needs. The mysteries of Kevin's origins on Earth take a far wider implication when he finds himself on a world that another "Lightbringer" ravaged centuries before.

Meanwhile back on Earth, Millie hopes to find her lost friend. Her quest brings her into contact with two other inheritors of the Lightweight name, even as she stumbles closer and closer to the truth of Kevin's new whereabouts. 

Everything builds to a pulse-pounding fight to the death, one that Lightweight may not survive.

Lightweight: Beyond is now available in paperback format and Kindle editions from Amazon. Special order copies are also available wherever books are sold. 

  

What's to come in 2016

I have big plans for 2016 but unlike last year, I am not going to make huge plans months ahead of time. I want to make sure I have work completed before I spend too much time discussing projects. I don't suspect I will have another down period like I did midway through last year, but I also don't want to make a bunch of promises that won't come to fruition.

My first published work of the year should be Flinch Books' Big Top Tales, the release of which is imminent. Edited by Jim Beard and John Bruening, it features original tales based around a 1950s era circus. I wrote a humdinger of a murder thriller starring the trapeze artist, more on which I will discuss when the book finally sees release.

Next up will be Lightweight: Beyond, scheduled for a March release. This should be in the editing stages within the next couple days, so I don't foresee any problems making that schedule. It will also be the longest Lightweight novel so far, at least half a book longer than the previous two volumes.

From there, I have tentative plans for a re-release of Out For Vengeance, the final two chapters of Quadrant (and a collection) and the return of F.O.R.C.E. to publishing over the summer. I also have a couple short story projects that should get finished within the next few months to fill in some anthology appearances I have already signed on to or plan to make. After that, I have a couple novels sitting and waiting on final chapters. Both my 1812 untitled novel and Neo-Tokyo Twin will hopefully be produced in some form this year.

On the editing front, Pulpsploitation should be launching a few new books in 2016, although I suspect they will be closer to midyear. Hopefully if plans go right, I will have a short Airboy novel as part of the expanded line this year.

Over the weekend, I wrapped up my first ever Western tale, a short story featuring the classic comic book character (now in the public domain) Kit West. That one isn't scheduled for release until November of this year as part of the Wild West Horse Opera RPG from Scaldcrow Games, but I had a lot of fun with it and have plans to go back to the Western format sometime in the next couple years.

Clearly, I have a lot still to come in the new year and this isn't even all I have planned. Hopefully I will be able to wrap all of it and produce a whole lot more as the year rolls on!

March 2016

Writing Update: NaNo-Complete!

I wrapped up my 50000 words for NaNoWriMo over the weekend. I actually worked on two novels over the period with Lightweight: Beyond being the main focus. But the expansion of Out For Vengeance also came into play as I start to put building blocks of the shared Quadrant Universe together in both stories. Expect a few tidbits in Vengeance’s tale that will come to play in future Lightweight stories.

Over the next couple weeks I will finish up the last chapter of Lightweight: Beyond and get the complete work off to be edited. Then I will throw myself into finishing the Vengeance expansion. But I have a pair of short stories that also need to get done this month, one to complete an anthology and one as a tie-in to T. Glenn Bane's upcoming Wild West Horse Opera RPG.

Suffice it to say, I will continue to have a busy writing schedule in December.

Thankfully all this writing won't come without a couple releases in the near future. Airship 27 has Legends of New Pulp near completion, which will feature my second tale in the "Second Life of DB Cooper". Then my 50s era circus tale will finally see the light of day as part of Flinch Books' Big Top Tales anthology. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how the finished book comes together.

Links to those will be forthcoming once they are released. In the mean time, stay tuned for some great holiday features and super-discussion as December rolls on.

Progress report for the end of October 2015

It's been awhile since I have updated folks reading this on what I am working on while I am also posting all these lovely blog entries. Considering the Kickstarter just funded a few short weeks ago, it should be no surprise I am working hard on Lightweight: Beyond.

While I am still working on the second chapter of that book, it is now a much longer chapter than in my previous plans. Since the second and third books for the next year failed to fund as part of the campaign, I actually changed my plans for where to leave off with Lightweight's third adventure to give a more satisfying conclusion to the readers. Without saying too much, this means I will actually be writing longer chapters for the second and third ones I originally planned to conclude Lightweight: Beyond. I will also add two more chapters after that in order to give a satisfying conclusion to Millie's time travel adventure and Kevin's battle to survive on Nill.

My current plan is to finish the bottom three quarters of Lightweight: Beyond as my NaNoWriMo project, coupled with the new ending I have planned for the Vengeance saga as mentioned a couple days ago. The two books will actually have a chapter that links the two corners of the Quadrant Universe as Vengeance's tale will find him leaving his home turf of New Salem for Lightweight's city of Federation. This should form some interesting connective tissue for folks interested in both books.

As I prep for NaNoWriMo, I am also hard at work at building a larger buffer for my online serial Walking Shadows. Regular readers know we moved into a bit more eerie territory in Hallo-week as Marilyn and Cyrus found themselves visited by strange shades. Today, the Casting Call feature debuted, featuring my thoughts on who would make a great Ian Page should a Walking Shadows movie ever be made.

Future chapters will develop Ian and Phoebe's friendship, reveal Kaihime's history and mission and introduce a new pair of super-villains to trouble our cast. I have more exciting news about Walking Shadows in the days ahead, so stay tuned for details on that in the near future.

Kickstart Lightweight 7: Funded and Successful!

The Lightweight: Beyond Kickstarter closed out just a few dollars over its goal, but a wave of great fans helped put it there and I could not be more grateful to them. Now the hard work of writing the rest of it gets underway. It's been a long journey to make the third book in the series happen, but with the support of fans, Lightweight should become at least an annual release.

On to writing!

Kickstart Lightweight 6: time is running out!

I may be quoting Bavmorda there, but it is true about the Lightweight: Beyond Kickstarter. As of this morning, about a day and a half remains to the funding goal for Lightweight.

The project is over the $500 mark now and all backers will receive a free copy of F.O.R.C.E. Book 1 when the book reaches its goal.

With final funding within spitting distance, I just wanted to send out one more message encouraging every fan of super powered fiction to get out there and help make Lightweight happen. Without the support of the people that understand the greatness of superheroes in prose form, people like myself and the other writers of the Pen and Cape Society could not continue to make the great works we bring to life. Thanks for everything all of you do.

The Lightweight: Beyond Kickstarter finishes funding at 6:00 p.m. Central time on Friday.

Kickstart Lightweight 5: more news from around the web!

Over the past few days, Lightweight has made more appearances on three great sites. Over at the comic site Bleeding Cool I wrote a piece about super powered fiction and the Kickstarter. For the great super-fiction group, the Pen & Cape Society I wrote a piece called Lightweight, Kickstarter and series fiction. Finally, the fine folks at the Free Choice E-Zine were nice enough to interview me about Lightweight. All were great pieces and I'm extreme grateful for all the sites to let me have some time.

As I write this, we just went under the 5 day mark on the Kickstarter and we have $218 left until our funding goal. It is quite possible to make up that amount, but I will need all of your help to continue to spread the word about Lightweight. Point people to the free first chapter, let them give it a read and then encourage them to stop by here and help out. With all three books digitally for $10 and in print for $25, it's incredibly easy to get in on the project at the ground floor for anyone.

With only about 72 hours left, now is the time to get in on keeping the adventures of the greatest new hero in super powered prose alive!

Kickstart Lightweight 4: More from around the web!

I have already talked about the Wild West Horse Opera crossover promotion, but that isn’t the only place online where I have talked Lightweight in the last few days!

Nancy A. Hansen was kind enough to interview me for her great Writing From Home blog. We talked the trials and tribulations of being a working writer, the importance of passion and how important Lightweight is to yours truly!

I also stopped by Thomas Deja’s Nocturne Travel Agency and shared a few thoughts about the current project in an article called “Being Lightweight”. It covers the importance for any writer of finding their passion project among the dozens of ideas that will never see completion.

Of course, Lightweight still continues to trot along on Kickstarter. The project is nearing its end and without more support, the days of Lightweight might be numbered. But if the fans of previous books and folks that just love super powered fiction in general can rally, we can make the book happen. Make sure to get in your support before it is too late.

Kickstart the Week 26: Wild West Horse Opera RPG

Scaldcrow Games has produced some great work already with their Worlds of Pulp line, but their moving it into an exciting new direction with Wild West Horse Opera. The new game will bring traditional westerns to vivid life with the simple, effective stats system Scaldcrow makes work so well.



The initial set actually comes with three books: the game itself, an adventure and Six Gun Red, a novella by T. Glenn Bane. The novella also contains a short story by Ron Fortier and if both Wild West Horse Opera and Lightweight: Beyond prove successful I will also provide an original story to the book as well!

While Wild West Horse Opera has met its funding goal, it has tons of stretch goals to still be unlocked, so give it a look and help support the rebirth of the western!

Lightweight Character Profile 3: Lightweight III

I talked before about the man that would take Kevin Mathis's place while he was lost in outer space. Now I am proud to reveal one more secret: the new Lightweight is none other than Lightweight's former friend Andy Case. Check out his profile below and remember to support Lightweight: Beyond on Kickstarter.

CHARACTER PROFILE: LIGHTWEIGHT III

Real Name: Andrew “Andy” Case

Occupation: Costumed Adventurer

Marital Status: Single

Known Relatives: Boyd (father, deceased), Twila (mother), Betram Finklestein (second cousin, deceased)

Group Affiliation: none

Base of Operations: Federation

History: After the tragedy at King’s Keep Tower, Andy Case found himself adrift. His father was dead, Lightweight  had vanished off the face of the Earth, and his friends wouldn’t talk to him. And while he suspected Kevin Mathis was alive, he knew that Lightweight was a legacy he couldn’t let rest.

With his mother in a coma and his friends moving on into college, Andy devoted himself to scrounging from the wreckage of King’s Keep a special set of equipment to emulate the natural abilities of Lightweight. A levitating board was easy to find, but the attractors and repulsors in his gloves took weeks of effort to make work. But within three months of Kevin’s disappearance, he was able to take his first night out as Lightweight.

Andy knows he doesn’t have the strength of character his former best friend did. He knows he barely possesses a fraction of Kevin’s powers as well. But he knows that Federation needs a hero until his friend returns. He will do anything in his power to live up to the legacy Kevin Mathis left behind.

Height: 6’ 1”

Weight: 170 lbs.

Eyes: Green

Hair: Reddish blonde

Strength level: Andy Case possesses the strength of a man of his age, height and build that participates in intensive exercise.

Known metahuman abilities: Since the age of ten, Andy has possessed the innate metahuman ability to become invisible. It is still unknown how his power works, although it appears to be non-psychic in nature as it works on any kind of machine and in multiple visual spectrums. He can expand the ability to anything he touches with a limit of about five feet from his body.

Other abilities: Andy is a trained hand to hand combatant and an expert marksman. He has a high level of stealth training in order to emphasize his metahuman abilities.

Equipment: Andy wears a specialized suit designed to blunt shots from small firearms. His left gauntlet when activated can send out a wave of force meant to push everything in its path away. His right gauntlet has the opposite effect as it creates a suction meant to pull things toward him. A special dial embedded inside the gauntlet’s thumbs allows him to select the width of the attraction and repulsion fields.

He also uses a specialized board approximately a meter long and a third of a meter wide as a flying implement. His boots lock into the base of the board to keep him steady as it uses similar attraction/repulsion technology to stay aloft.

Kickstart Lightweight 3: How you can help!

The last week has been very weak for supporters on the Lightweight: Beyond Kickstarter. We still are sitting at under 50%, not far from where we were a weak ago.

I am not giving up hope though. I recently did an interview with T. Mike McCurley to talk about the project. Feel free to share the interview around your social media.

I have started to go directly to previous backers to make sure they are aware of the project, but I would appreciate every share on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr or wherever. The more expansive the range of views on the project, the better we can do funding wise.

If you have any questions or concerns about the project, please let me know. Thanks for your support and let's make Lightweight: Beyond happen!

Kickstart Lightweight 1: Beyond is here!

I was more than glad to shed some spotlight on eSpec Books’ own super powered project this morning, but it is not the only Kickstarter I have to talk about today. Because Lightweight is back and now funding on Kickstarter.



Lightweight: Beyond opens the second year of the adventures of Kevin Mathis. He finds himself on the alien world of Nill, divorced from everything he has ever known, and thrown into a cold war between dangerous forces in control of the world. Even while he must come to terms with the secrets of Nill, an even greater threat looms that could spell doom for him and the entire galaxy!

Please give Lightweight: Beyond your support. With your help we can fund not one, not two, but three more great novels that will bring the full epic story of Lightweight's second year in action!